U.S. Senate panel calls on CDC to explain anthrax incident

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate health panel on Monday
called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for a
detailed explanation of a safety breach that exposed as many as
84 people at three CDC laboratories to live anthrax, a deadly
pathogen.

In a letter to CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden, members of the
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which
oversees biomedical research and the CDC, requested a briefing
and written explanation for the events that led to the exposure.

"We request a detailed explanation of what happened, why
established safety protocols were not followed or were
insufficient to prevent such an incident," the letter said.

"The breach in safety protocol threatened the health and
safety of CDC staff and raises serious concerns and questions
with respect to the protocols and procedures that were followed
at the biosafety labs."

Scientists at the CDC bioterror lab in Atlanta accidentally
sent live samples of anthrax to labs with fewer safeguards.
Dozens of personnel are being treated with a vaccine and
antibiotics to stave off illness.

Investigations of the safety lapses are underway but an
initial review of events at the first lab, known as a biosafety
level 3 facility, or BSL-3, suggests that multiple procedures
were violated.

The protocol for killing anthrax using a new chemical
process required that scientists put the sample in an incubator
and wait at least 48 hours to check for signs of life. Instead,
they waited only 24 hours and when they saw no new growth,
assumed the material was safe.

The Senate committee said it was concerned it did not learn
of the incident until nearly a week after it was detected.

It is requesting an explanation for the events that led to
the incident and of the security and safety protocols at the
facility.

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